NEW DELHI: The Supreme Court on Wednesday directed that the entire 48-minute audio clip allegedly implicating former Manipur Chief Minister N Biren Singh in the 2023 ethnic violence, along with his admitted voice samples, be forwarded to the National Forensic Science University (NFSU) Gandhinagar, for detailed forensic examination.
It also asked the NFSU to expedite the process and submit its report to the court in a sealed cover. A bench of Justicse Sanjay Kumar and K Vinod Chandran passed the direction after hearing a plea -- filed by Kuki Organization for Human Rights Trust (KOHUR) -- seeking a court-monitored investigation into certain alleged leaked audio clips which allegedly implicate former Manipur CM, Singh for instigating the ethnic violence in the state.
Advocate Prashant Bhushan, appearing for the petitioner KOHUR, said, “The petition itself contained the transcript of the full 48-minute conversation and that the audio had been supplied. The authorities were aware of the complete recording,” he submitted.
Kohur had alleged that the audio tapes, shared by an anonymous whistleblower, contained telephonic conversations held by the former CM “establishing complicity of the highest functionary and others in ethnic violence in Manipur”.
Last year, in one of the hearings in the apex court, the NFSU Gandhinagar, had informed it that the audio purportedly relating to recordings allegedly implicating former Manipur CM in the ethnic violence which took place in 2023 were tampered with and not scientifically fit for voice comparison.
“As the said audio is tampered with, so thereby, no opinion on similarity or dissimilarity of the speakers could be offered,” said the NFSU to the SC. In November 2025, the NFSU had informed the SC that the audio clips sent to it showed signs of tampering.
Also in top court
Wangchuk wife’s plea hearing today
The Supreme Court on Wednesday adjourned to January 8 the hearing of a plea filed by Gitanjali J Angmo, the wife of jailed climate activist Sonam Wangchuk, against his detention under the National Security Act. A bench of Justice Aravind Kumar and Justice P B Varale deferred the matter.
SC grants protection from arrest to singer
The Supreme Court on Wednesday granted interim protection from arrest to folk singer Neha Singh Rathore in a case filed against her over a social media post on the Pahalgam terror attack.The said comments allegedly targeted PM Narendra Modi, Home Minister Amit Shah and the BJP in connection with the attacks.